CHAPTER 20 TRICKERY

Lighting his way with a tall, flickering candle, Father Benedict walked directly to the bed where Mrs. Hawthorne lay.

“How are you feeling?” he inquired with a show of sympathy.

“Dreadful,” the woman murmured. “I must have a doctor.”

“Do you really believe that a doctor can help you, my good woman?”

The question startled Mrs. Hawthorne. She half-raised herself from the pillow to stare at the monk.

“Why, what do you mean?” she asked. “Surely a doctor can give me medicine to help these wretched pains. It is only a stomach disorder.”

“My dear Mrs. Hawthorne, surely you must realize that your difficulty is not one that a man of medicine can cure.”

“You don’t mean I have a serious, incurable disease?” the woman gasped.

“You are indeed suffering from a most serious malady which may take your life,” affirmed Father Benedict. “Is it not true that bad fortune has pursued every owner of the star sapphire?”

Mrs. Hawthorne remained silent.

“Is it not so?” prodded the monk. “Think back over the history of the gem. Even your husband met with misfortune.”

“And now you believe my turn has come? Oh!”

“I dislike to distress you,” resumed Father Benedict with malice, “but perhaps by warning you I may yet save your life. Tonight in the crystal globe I saw your face. A message came that you must dispose of the star sapphire immediately or you too will die!”

“I—I always have hated and feared the gem,” Mrs. Hawthorne whispered, her lips trembling. “You are right. It has brought only misfortune upon our family.”

“Then your way is clear. You must dispose of the sapphire at once—tonight.”

“The gem is very valuable. You suggest that I give it to your society?”

“To our society,” corrected the monk. “Once you have contributed the gem, you will become our most honored member.”

“The gem was left to me in trust for my granddaughter.”

“You told me yourself you desire that it never should fall into her hands.”

“Only because I fear evil will befall her. I had planned to sell the gem and place the money in her name.”

Father Benedict beat an impatient tattoo with his foot. “The curse would remain,” he insisted. “Only by giving the gem to a worthy charity can evil be erased. For your own sake and that of your granddaughter, I beg of you, give us the sapphire.”

“A few days ago, I might have considered it,” said Mrs. Hawthorne peevishly. “Now I don’t even like this place. It is too much on the order of a prison. The food is wretched! Tomorrow if I am stronger, I shall take my granddaughter and leave.”

“Indeed?” Father Benedict sneered. “For you there will be no tomorrow. I have seen the face of a corpse in my glass!”

Penny knew that the words shocked Mrs. Hawthorne, for she heard her draw in her breath sharply. But the woman retorted with spirit:

“You cannot frighten me with your predictions! Rhoda insisted from the first that you are an imposter! She is right! You’ll get no gem from me!”

“No?” Father Benedict’s voice became mocking. “We shall see!”

Placing the candle on the floor close to the bed, he crossed the room to the old fashioned dresser. One by one, he began to paw through the drawers.

“Stop it!” cried Mrs. Hawthorne. “Don’t dare touch my things!”

Father Benedict paid her not the slightest heed. Rapidly he emptied boxes and containers and tossed clothing in a heap on the floor.

With a supreme effort, Mrs. Hawthorne pulled herself from the bed. Staggering across the floor, she seized the man’s arm.

Father Benedict pushed her backwards onto the bed.

“You are a cruel, heartless man!” Mrs. Hawthorne sobbed. The bed shook convulsively beneath her weight as she lay where Father Benedict had pushed her.

Penny was sorely tempted to go to the woman’s assistance, but reason told her it would be sheer folly to betray her presence. Everything depended upon getting quickly and safely out of the monastery. If she failed, Father Benedict undoubtedly would escape, leaving them all locked in the building.

The monk now had finished searching the dresser and turned his attention to a suitcase. With professional skill and thoroughness, he ripped open the lining. Likewise, he explored every garment hem and pocket.

“To think that I ever trusted you!” Mrs. Hawthorne cried bitterly. “Oh, I see it all now! From the very first, you were after the sapphire!”

“And I have it too!” cried the man in triumph.

His sensitive, exploring fingers had come upon a small, hard object sewed into the hem of one of Mrs. Hawthorne’s frocks.

“Don’t you dare take the stone!” the woman screamed. “I’ll have you arrested as a common thief!”

“You’ll never get out of this room,” chuckled the monk. “I intend to lock you in!”

The boast threw Penny into a panic. Not for an instant did she doubt that Father Benedict would carry out his threat. If he locked Mrs. Hawthorne in, she too would be a prisoner!

Penny had no time to plan strategy or reason out the best course. Already, Father Benedict had removed the gem from the hem of the garment.

Before he could examine it, or move toward the door, Penny, with a mighty “whoosh” blew out the candle.

Scrambling from beneath the bed, she darted to the door.

Taken by surprise, Father Benedict was too slow to intercept her. She slammed the door in his face, groping frantically for a key.

Finding none, she knew the monk must have the only one on his person.

“The fat’s in the fire now for sure!” she thought in panic.

Penny raced across the balcony and down the stone steps to the cloister. In this emergency the pillars, though shadowed, offered no protection whatsoever. Nor was the dry fountain bed a safe place in which to hide.

Pounding footsteps warned that there was no time in which to search for a hideout. The only possible place was under an old tarpaulin which lay in a heap on the tiles beside the fountain.

Wriggling beneath the canvas, Penny pulled the folds over her head.

Barely had she flattened herself on the floor than Father Benedict pounded into the cloister. So close did he pass to where she lay, that Penny could hear his heavy breathing.

“Now where did that brat go?” he muttered. “She’s here somewhere!”

The monk rang a bell which brought Winkey on the run.

“I’ve looked everywhere for that Parker girl,” he reported before the master could speak. “She must have got away.”

“Fool!” rasped the monk. “She has been hiding in Mrs. Hawthorne’s room! She saw me take the sapphire!”

“You mean you got the gem, boss?”

“Here in my hand. Hold your lantern closer and see for yourself.”

A long pause followed. Penny guessed that the two men were inspecting the gem beneath a light. She was unprepared for the next explosive comment of Father Benedict.

“I’ve been tricked!” he muttered. “This isn’t the sapphire Mrs. Hawthorne showed me in Florida! It’s only a cheap imitation!”

“Maybe that girl sneaked in and took it herself!”

“If she did it will be the worse for her! I know Mrs. Hawthorne brought a genuine sapphire into this house. Either her granddaughter has it, or this Parker pest!”

“What’ll we do, boss?”

“We’re leaving here as quickly as we can get away,” Father Benedict said decisively. “We’ve over-played our hand and our luck has run out.”

“You mean we’re going without the sapphire?” grumbled Winkey. “After all our work?”

“We’ll get the sapphire. First, we must make certain that Parker girl doesn’t slip out of the building.”

“I let the dogs loose in the yard. And the windows and doors are all locked. If she tries to get out, they’ll set up a yip.”

“Good! She must be somewhere in the house and we’ll soon find her.”

“How much did she learn, boss?”

“I don’t know, but enough to jail us both! Go to my study and destroy all the papers you find there. Then bring the car to the rear exit.”

“How soon we leaving?”

“Fifteen minutes.”

“Can you get the sapphire in that time?” Winkey asked doubtfully. “What if the old lady holds out?”

“I’ve locked her in her room. Also the other women. I’ll not bother with Mrs. Hawthorne. There are quicker methods.”

“Her granddaughter?”

“Exactly. We’ll carry out my original plan. Miss Rhoda will be glad to talk when I have finished with her!”

“It’s kinda harsh treatment—”

“Do as you are told!” Father Benedict cut in sharply.

“Okay, boss,” agreed Winkey. “I’ll sure be glad to shake the dust of this place off my feet. This cult racket never was in our line. We got in deeper than we figured.”

“Do less talking and more thinking!” snapped the monk. “I’ll take care of Rhoda and have the sapphire within fifteen minutes. She’s asleep by this time, I hope.”

“I looked in through the peephole a minute ago,” the hunchback informed. “Sleeping like a babe!”

“Good!” Father Benedict approved. His final order sent an icy chill down Penny’s spine. “Give me your lantern, Winkey. I’ll go below now and turn on the machinery.”